CNN's GUT CHECK | for August 29, 2012 | 8 a.m.
– n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

Editor's Note: This is a special morning edition of CNN's Political Gut Check which will come out twice a day for the duration of the political conventions.

BREAKING: ALL EYES ON ISAAC… With officials reporting "overtopping of a levee on the east bank" from Braithwaite to White Ditch in Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish, Billy Nungesser, president of the parish, tells CNN there have been reports of 10 to 12 feet of water in homes in the area. The slow moving storm made second landfall in Southeast Louisiana around 4:00 a.m. this morning and continues to lash the Gulf Coast with strong winds and consistent rain.

ARIZONA RESULTS: Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake defeated businessman Wil Cardon in the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat, earning roughly 200,000 more votes, unofficial results showed early Wednesday morning… Despite being outraised by his opponent, Flake, a six-term congressman, saw strong backing from both establishment and tea party Republicans in his quest to win the open seat soon to be vacated by retiring Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl… Also in Arizona, Rep. David Schweikert has defeated Rep. Ben Quayle, son on former Vice President Dan Quayle, in a bitterly fought member-vs.-member GOP primary for Arizona's 6th congressional district. – Ashley Killough

After Mitt Romney secured the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, his wife Ann Romney made a direct pitch to married women with their love story. Later New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie threw out the red meat with his tough love message. Here are five things we are looking for during the Republican National Convention on Wednesday.

1. More Energy. It is Paul Ryan's night, and the charismatic vice presidential nominee has to rally the Republican base and shake off the convention's delayed start and subdued first night.

2. More differentiation with President Obama. In 2008 Arizona Sen. John McCain left it to his vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin to skewer then-Sen. Barack Obama (Who could forget the line: "This is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform – not even in the state Senate"?). Will Ryan do that in a way that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie did not?

3. The down ballot effect of having Ryan on the ticket. As soon as the Wisconsin congressman was announced as Romney’s running mate, Democrats saddled every Republican running for office with the "Ryan budget." Will there be any griping?

4. The bench. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's speech will be one to watch. She is a compelling speaker with a captivating life story - one that she weaves into her own narrative of the Republican Party. It will be interesting to watch her try to reach a different demographic. The bench, continued. Tonight, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is taking the stage in a new role when she grabs the podium and perhaps gives us a hint if she wants a future in elected office... or a possible Romney cabinet.

5. Yes, even more energy. We end where we started. The convention seemed tired on Tuesday night. The speakers, even the candidate himself, seemed to want to stay seated. Conventions have a key role in motivating and managing the party activists, and without a shot of adrenaline, the Republicans will have missed one of their best windows to energize their ground game and provide messaging that is repeatable.

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the LEDEDid you miss it?

Leading CNNPolitics:Romney officially clinches nomination at condensed GOP convention
Mitt Romney officially clinched the GOP presidential nomination on Tuesday to move a step closer in his five-year quest for the White House. To roaring cheers at the Republican National Convention in the packed Tampa Bay Times Forum, the delegation from New Jersey put Romney above the 1,144-delegate threshold, ensuring he will be the GOP challenger to President Barack Obama in November. – Tom Cohen

Leading Drudge:Mrs. America
A transcript of Ann Romney’s remarks Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention, as provided by the Republican Party.

Leading HuffPo:What's Love Got To Do With It?
Good cop. Bad cop. The Republican Party showed the nation one of its most winsome faces on the first night of the GOP's shortened three-day convention, giving Ann Romney the first half of prime time. – John Ward

Leading Politico:Mitt Romney: A placeholder for next GOP generation
Ask the rising stars of the GOP about their party’s future and two names repeatedly come up. Neither of them is Mitt Romney. One of them, Ronald Reagan, was born in 1911; the other, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, in 1970. – Jonathan Martin

Leading The New York Times:Nomination Secure, Romney Pitch Starts
Mitt Romney’s wife, Ann, took the lead in trying to shape perceptions of her husband, hailing him as a strong and steadfast family man whom Americans could trust to help rebuild the economy. – Jeff Zeleny

TRAIL TRIVIA(Answer will be in today’s afternoon edition of Gut Check. Tweet us your answers @GutCheckCNN to get a shout out this afternoon.)

Who said the existence of beach volley ball “is what freedom is all about” in a speech at the 1996 GOP convention?

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soundoff(6 Responses)

Sounds like a slogan for a small town mayor, but as far as Mitts go's he should release 10 years of tax returns and let us get to know him.

August 29, 2012 08:26 am at 8:26 am |

Marie MD

What a farce that woman is. Talking to an audience of REAL working woman from somebody who hasn't lifted more than a silver spoon or tennis racket all her life.
You are NOT going the make him more lovable because, even Pinocchio knew he was wooden but he was ten times cutoff and less of a lying tax cheater than your husband.
WOMEN DONT LIKE YOU dancing horse queen.

August 29, 2012 08:39 am at 8:39 am |

Brooke

Did not move me at all. My husband is a good man, well my husbant is too but he is not fit for highes job in the land....

August 29, 2012 08:52 am at 8:52 am |

Marie MD

She is NOT to change the perception of her husband one bit. As a matter of fact i wonder what kind of woman straps a dog on a crate on top of an SUV and laughs about it. What kind of woman keeps one of her non serving boy's meltdown about this miscarriage that we, nor the bishop, had ever heard about until just now for sympathy votes?
What kind of woman speaks to REAL working women about how hard their lives have been when she has NEVER worked a day in her life unless you count picking up a tennis racket or riding a $77,000 tax deduction horse is work. Isn't the horse competing. When does she ride Rafalca?

August 29, 2012 09:11 am at 9:11 am |

n

Yeah, the republican party last night was a wasted hype of sound bites and a lot of phony people saying nothing, yet, talking loud. The fatter the speaker, the more fat crap of nothing was coming out of their mouths. And Ann Romney, who appear to be from the planet of the 1%, (They Live) tried as she failed, to seem like a regular gal living next door to a laid off blue collar worker, put most people watching to sleep and had it not been for the empty applauds, the people there would have dozed off as well. The republican party is dead in the water. Period.

August 29, 2012 09:17 am at 9:17 am |

harvey 60

Nice speech, Ann. Thanks for the mention of Real Marriage, I'm sure every same sex couple got a kick out of it. Thanks also for mentioning women having a hard time shopping for groceries, something you never experienced in your life. You talk about living in a basement apartment like we should have sympathy for you. Your father-in-law was a multi-millionaire and you grew up in a privileged household! No doubt you and Mitt are lying about the extent of your MS, because you seem to be traveling all over the country and had no problems going to London for the Olympics. But when it comes tax time, you're surely taking those deductions for horse therapy. It's good that you have to sign the returns along with Mitt, because when he gets charged with criminal tax evasion you'll be right next to him on the defendants' bench.